Families who go on cruises expect to create lasting memories together.
One Florida family's vacation turned into a nightmare.
And a Florida cheerleader's cruise ship death certificate revealed one heartbreaking detail.
Anna Kepner had her whole life ahead of her.
The 18-year-old straight-A student from Titusville, Florida, was a varsity cheerleader at Temple Christian School where she was set to graduate in May 2026.
Known affectionately as "Anna Banana" to her loved ones, she dreamed of joining the U.S. Navy after graduation and eventually becoming a K-9 police officer.
Anna loved the water so much she got her boating license before she could even drive a car.
She was PADI-certified to dive and would blast music while spending time offshore.
Her family described her as someone who "filled the world with laughter, love, and light that reached everyone around her."
Anna was also a devoted Georgia Bulldogs fan who dreamed of one day becoming a cheerleader for the team.
What should have been a family vacation turned tragic
In early November, Anna embarked on a six-day Caribbean cruise aboard the Carnival Horizon with her father, stepmother, three stepsiblings, and grandparents.
The family had three staterooms on the ship.
"The cruise itself wasn't what made me excited. It was the fact that I was gonna get to spend another week with my youngest son and his family and all the grandkids," grandfather Jeffrey Kepner told ABC News.¹
The last time Anna's grandmother Barbara saw her alive, Anna's dental braces had been bothering her at dinner.
But Anna still wanted to join the family fun afterward.
"She just said, 'Meemaw, I think I'm gonna go back to my room for a little bit, I don't feel well,'" Barbara Kepner recalled to ABC News. "And she must have felt better, because she got dressed up. And she came down, we were playing in the casino. And she sat down and she played $20. And she didn't win anything. And she said, 'Meemaw, I love you guys, I'll see you later.'"²
That was the last time her family saw Anna alive.
A medical emergency shattered the cruise vacation
The next morning, November 7, Jeffrey Kepner was buying bingo cards when he heard a medical alert blare over the ship's speakers.
He immediately recognized the room number being announced.
"I went blank," Jeffrey Kepner told ABC News. "I was hoping that it was something minor."³
Instead, what he saw when he walked into the room haunts him to this day.
A cabin steward had found Anna's body under the bed, wrapped in a blanket and covered with life jackets.
She shared the cabin with her 16-year-old stepbrother.
The ship's official time of death was listed as 11:17 a.m. on November 7.
The Carnival Horizon returned to PortMiami on November 8, where FBI agents immediately boarded the vessel to begin their investigation.
Death certificate ruled it a homicide by mechanical asphyxiation
The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office has now issued Anna's death certificate, which reveals the cause of death as "mechanical asphyxia."
The document states that Anna "was mechanically asphyxiated by other person(s)" and lists the date of injury as November 6, though the time is unknown.
"Mechanical asphyxia just means there is something external to the body that hinders her breathing — her chest or belly can't expand," board-certified forensic pathologist Dr. Priya Banerjee explained to Fox News.⁴
The family has been told by the FBI that Anna apparently died from asphyxiation possibly caused by a bar hold — an arm placed across the neck.
Investigators found two bruises on the side of her neck.
Preliminary information indicates there were no signs of sexual assault and no drugs or alcohol were found in Anna's system.
However, final autopsy and toxicology reports have not yet been released.
The death certificate provided to Anna's immediate family includes the manner of death as homicide.
The public version of the death certificate obtained by Fox News does not include this information, as Florida law restricts that detail to immediate family members only.
FBI investigation continues as stepbrother emerges as potential suspect
The FBI's Miami office is handling the investigation under federal maritime jurisdiction laws.
When crimes occur on cruise ships departing from U.S. ports and traveling through international waters, the FBI has jurisdiction to investigate.
Court documents filed in an unrelated custody battle between Anna's stepmother and her ex-husband have brought additional details to light.
In an emergency motion to delay a custody hearing, Anna's stepmother Shauntel Hudson stated that "a criminal case may be initiated against one of the minor children."
The filing notes that Hudson "has been advised through discussions with FBI investigators and her attorneys, that a criminal case may be initiated against one of the minor children."⁵
Anna's grandparents told ABC News that security camera footage showed Anna's stepbrother was "the only one seen going in and the only one seen going out" of the cabin on the night she died.⁶
No criminal charges have been filed in the case.
The FBI has declined to comment on the ongoing investigation, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida has not responded to inquiries about potential charges.
Carnival Cruise Line issued a statement saying, "Our focus is on supporting the family of our guest and cooperating with the FBI."
The cruise line has not provided additional details about the incident.
Anna's family held a celebration of life service at The Grove Church in Titusville on November 20.
They requested attendees wear colorful clothing instead of traditional black "in honor of Anna's bright and beautiful soul."
Her favorite color was blue.
"The biggest question that I want answered is the why," Jeffrey Kepner said. "And that's the answer that I don't know if we'll ever get."⁷
Anna was cremated shortly after the completion of the initial investigation.
Her family is now left waiting for the FBI to provide answers about what happened to their vibrant, ambitious daughter who had so much life left to live.
The investigation continues as federal authorities work to determine whether criminal charges will be filed in connection with Anna's death.
¹ ABC News, "Family of 18-year-old who died on cruise speaks out as stepbrother is named 'suspect,'" November 24, 2025.
² Ibid.
³ Ibid.
⁴ Michael Ruiz, Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Andre Tinoco, "Cheerleader who died aboard Carnival cruise ship cremated, death certificate reveals," Fox News, November 25, 2025.
⁵ Kate Payne, "Anna Kepner update: Speculation intensifies in death of 18-year-old cheerleader on a Carnival cruise ship," CNN, November 19, 2025.
⁶ ABC News, "Family of 18-year-old who died on cruise speaks out as stepbrother is named 'suspect,'" November 24, 2025.
⁷ Ibid.
